Which positions stand to benefit most from the seasonal job boom?

Oct 30, 2014

As the holiday season approaches, it's that time of year again – time when holiday decorations start appearing, shopping habits kick back into gear and companies start expanding their seasonal workforce. Extra hiring to see businesses through the busy holiday times is practically an institution in the retail field, where large and small retailers alike beef up their customer service personnel to meet the rising tide of holiday-minded consumers.

But the retail industry isn't the only one that sees its employment numbers swelling during the holiday season. For those in the seasonal workforce, there are a collection of additional fields and industries that make holiday time a prime hunting ground for job seekers.

Retail
Of course, it goes without saying that retail is the topindustry when it comes to inflated seasonal hiring numbers. But what some may not know is the extent to which the seasonal job pool has expanded in recent years. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 2014 may mark the first time this millennium that seasonal hiring numbers top 800,000 across the U.S., making holiday retail work one of the most attractive prospects for those looking for work.

HR and recruiting
Companies see their ranks swell during the last quarter of the year. It stands to reason that all those fresh faces have to come from somewhere, right? All the hiring that goes on extends to the very field responsible for managing recruiting in the first place – HR. With businesses pushed to the limit trying to keep up with increased inventory and customer activity, it's not uncommon for many to turn to PEO companies for their HR services during the year's busy time, Forbes noted, which means that many HR outsourcing firms and recruitment agencies are themselves good places to find work during the holiday season.

Shipping and transportation
The Internet has had one of the single largest measurable impacts on shopping and retail habits in recent years. While anyone who's set foot inside a mall during the year's final three months knows there's little truth to the rumors that brick-and-mortar retail is a thing of the past, it's undeniable that there's also been a surge in online purchasing. From Amazon.com to Zappos, more merchandise is moving from fulfillment centers directly to consumer doorsteps than ever before. The result of this surge in e-buying, is of course, a boost in the number of delivery drivers, processing agents and other shipping-related positions.